Taliban Defence Minister Dismisses ISIS Threat in Afghanistan
Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's Minister of Defence, declared on Sunday that the ISIS project in Afghanistan has been unsuccessful and lacks any significant foundation.
Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's Minister of Defence, declared on Sunday that the ISIS project in Afghanistan has been unsuccessful and lacks any significant foundation.
He criticised the international community, particularly the United Nations and Security Council, for being misled by inaccurate information regarding the security situation in Afghanistan.
Mullah Yaqoob paralleled views held by officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran, labelling ISIS as an external endeavour. He urged the alleged financiers of ISIS to acknowledge its defeat in Afghanistan. This statement comes despite American officials' recognition of the Taliban's efforts against ISIS. However, a contrasting report by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, to the Security Council, highlighted ISIS's growing operational capacity in Afghanistan, posing a substantial threat to the region.
Guterres's report raised alarms over ISIS's access to advanced NATO-made weapons and its increasingly sophisticated attacks against the Taliban, targeting high-ranking officials. In response, Mullah Yaqoob, speaking at a press conference in Kabul, attempted to minimise the threats posed by resistance groups and ISIS. He accused sources of providing false information about ISIS's presence and activities in Afghanistan.
Yaqoob emphasised the Taliban's success in establishing security and reducing crime, citing a significant decrease in armed robberies and the arrest of numerous smugglers, along with the confiscation of thousands of weapons from unauthorised individuals.
